Reds InsiderFrom news of the day to news of the weird, John Fay provides a glimpse of what it’s like to cover the Cincinnati Reds

John Fay has been the Reds beat writer for the Enquirer since 2001. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles for the Enquirer: backup Reds writer, UC beat writer, backup Bengals writer and as a general assignment reporter. He is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Elder High School and the University of Dayton.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Affeldt will start

The Reds confirmed what we expected all along: Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt will compete for a spot in the starting rotation.

"He has a history as a starter in his career," Wayne Krivsky said. "He signed with the Royals as a starter. He's versatile. He's done both. The idea coming over here is to compete for a spot in our rotation. We're excited about having him here. Our scouts like his stuff fora long time. To add someone like him at this point on the calendar . . . we're very, very pleased."

The one-year, $3 million deal was quickly reached after the Reds approached Affeldt about starting.

"That was key," Krivsky said. "He was very excited about the idea (of starting). When we heard that, now we're excited about the idea."

Affeldt had other offers, mostly as reliever.

“I was going over some of the deals," he said. "I really wasn’t feeling good about them. Wayne gave us a call and asked if I wanted to start. I jumped on it. It’s something I believe I can do.

"This is a fun opportunity."

It's not coincidence that Brett Tomko signed with Kansas City shortly after the Reds reached the agreement with Affeldt. The Reds had been considering Tomko.

The Reds designated outfielder Jeff Fiorentino for assignment to make room for Affeldt on the 40-man roster.

One other note on something lot of you have been asking about: Edinson Volquez does have options. That means all the young pitchers competing for spots in the rotation -- Volquez, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto and Matt Maloney -- have options.

I like this signing a lot, mostly because of Affeldt's versatility. If I were making the decision, I would plan to have Harang, Arroyo, Belisle, and Bailey start the season as the 1-4 starters, with Affeldt as the 5th. Why? Because the 5th starter will be skipped a few times in the early going, and you don't want to have the young guys go through that. Better to send Volquez to Louisville, where he can continue to work with his new coaches in April, and hopefully get comfortable and on a roll. Cueto and Maloney need to start the season in AAA in any event. Bailey needs to pitch every 5th day, in the big leagues. Affeldt will be a nice 5th guy, who can be used out of the 'pen as dictated by his starting schedule. Come May 1 or thereabouts, you'll know more about Belisle, Bailey, and Volquez, and if Affeldt is a better or healthier option than any of them you leave him in the rotation; if he's not, you have a solid lefty stretched out for longer outings to use out of the 'pen, a guy who has some history of success there. Best-case scenario is that Belisle and Bailey are solid, Volquez shows good control at AAA and earns his way into the big league rotation, and Affeldt is in the 'pen and available for spot starts.

Alright Jack what would you have done if you came to the Reds during spring training 2 years ago? Can you honestly say someone could have made better moves? I don't see the point of bashing a guy that inherited that team. Other than for the time when Jerry managed to start last season, this team has been .500 under Krivsky. Jerry was lucky to have been extended in July 06, cuz late August and early September probably would have made the decision much more difficult after the season. In my opinion Jerry lost the team with his questionable line up and bull pen moves and it showed in 07. Was it Wayne's fault the team underachieved under Narron? In my opinion, no. But hey, you probably heard from a couple Reds at a Bengals game Arroyo isn't a consistent pitcher. His rough patch last year came after Narron rode him so hard it was absurd against the Pads, I think he threw in 8 games last year where he gave up 2 ER or fewer and the Reds lost, it was an aberration....and that pitch against the Pads by the way was a k. I was watching on FSN West Coast, the announcer thought it was a strike.

This is a good move. He is a veteran lefty who can give the younger guys time to adjust. Cueto, Maloney, Bailey, and Volquez all could be good or decent starters in the majors, but you have to try to win this year. Affeldt helps the Reds do that without giving up any of their future. He is a solid pitcher who I believe can help the Reds win now.

I think this has a chance to be a real surprise. You have a pitcher excited about having the opportunity to start again, plus he's basically pitching for a better payday a year from now. If he looks like the real deal by the All-Star break, Wayne should approach his agent about a contract extension. Lets hope we have that issue to discuss.

Al: Everyone knows W.K.is just a spokesman(why do you think Walt J. was hired).W.K. is a proven failure,look at his record!Yes, we look like an improved team for 08...thank Bob C. & Walt for that!!As others have posted here...W.K. is a joke & a total PR disgrace!! WAKE UP CINCY FIRE KRIVSKY

And one note on anyone putting Belisle in the rotation---He was pushed out of the rotation last August, only to come back after missing only one start due to injuries to the other options. His last 10 startts? An era around 5.3. Of those 10 starts 4 were against playoff contenders. Somewhere around a 7.63 clip in those games. The organization wasn't high on him at the end of last year, it was just a matter of circumstance that they were still throwing him out there.

Remind me, when was Walt let go by St. Louis and when did Walk start working for the Reds?

Oh yeah, that would mean has has had very little time to have anything to do with 08, but go right ahead and give him credit, I am sure that the facts won't get in the way of your hate.

Also why is Kriv a PR disgrace? I mean really why is it so bad for a GM to do things in the background and to not feel the need to be in the spotlight? So he doesn't feel the need to be the face of the team, he lets the owner, and players be the face of the team. That is refreshing to me. Personally I have never understood why Kriv gets such a bad rep, I mean really he inherited this team from a truly pathetic GM, O'Brien, and he inherited a team run into the ground by an absent owner who let John Allen continue his penny pinching ways and his running of the Reds franchise into the ground.

How Kriv is to blame for not reversing a decade of neglect in 2 years, now going on 3 years, is beyond my comprehension. Has Kriv been perfect, nope, but he has worked within the constraints of a team owned by Miser Karl, and worked under the constraints of a new owner that took over a little late to make a big splash, who is now trying to make a big splash. Kriv is not to blame for the last decade, and personally to me he is trying to rebuild the Reds the right way. The Reds are not a large market team, they are a small market team, and they need to have a good farm system, and they need to do everything in their power to insure that when that farm system is tapped the players SUCCEED from day one, if that means going a little slower than most, then so be it. The Reds can no longer afford to miss a lot more often than they hit on prospects, which was the modus operendi for the last decade.

i read this blog every day and never felt compelled to comment on on anything, but after reading anon 4:36 it was just too easy of a slam to pass up...anon, please think before you type, your agrument made absolutely zero sense and has no basis in reality. spokesman?? do you live on a raft tied to the big mac bridge? krivsky is doing a heck of a job with managing young talent and getting creative with how to aquire additional pieces of a potential 80+ game winning team. please take a moment to understand business organizational structures before making a comment that my granola bar could pick apart...WAKE UP ANON, jerry springer is no longer the mayor of cincinnati; you can actually go and be famous on his show!

Anon at 6:43: You really missed my point. How do you make a bad ball club that had absolutely no pitching better? You make moves. Bronson? Last 4 years he's had an era of 4.03, 4.51, 3.29. and 4.23. 3 years of era under 4.23. We acquired him for Wily Mo Pena. Wily Mo. I rest my case. This is Bray and Majewski's year, as they are finally both healthy. If they suck, go ahead criticize the move, if Majewski returns to pre-trade form, we have a strong arm. If Bray shows the promise that he showed in 06, than that's a coup for a lazy SS and a popular yet unnecessary OF. Cormier? had something like a 1.59 era before we got him. Not Wayne's fault he's not a Man. Mike Stanton? Had the highest babip% in his career last year. So either he's lost it, or you can expect a much better season. That's why Wayne's a baseball guy and we're not. Pitcher's occasionally have random years where that number goes up high one year, and then falls back down to the career levels the next, which results in a better era and lower whip. And once again I ask...who would you have added and how?

-And yes Al it was odd to agree, but it's much easier to agree with a comment such as that one...

Jack,we get it. You won't like whatever the Reds/Krivsky will do. Was just hoping you'll start adding something besides you regular rants to the post.

Anon 4:36,we get it. You hate Krivsky and you think everyone is sleeping so you feel the need to scream wake up cincy. But don't you have anything else to say? Or are just here to sing about your crush on Walt? Come on already sign your name. There's an old saying "whoever speaks the loudest says the least".

You both should open your eyes and see the bigger picture. Rome wasn't built in a day and it's going to take a few years for the Reds to reach their potential.

The difference of the Reds saying it now as opposed to a few years back, well if you haven't been able to figure it out I doubt I could help you.Woody

This appears to be an interesting signing in that it enables some the of young guys to stay down if things go according to plan. I had hoped that in 09 we would have some young pitchers on the cusp and a core position group of Edwin, Alex, BP, Votto, Bruce & Hamilton. Grif & Dunn would be gone and free up $25M in payroll.John, any idea why Johnny Narron arrangement caused such a problem in the clubhouse as has been alluded to? If it's about who gets more attention--that sounds pretty childish!Thoughts?

You admitting that it will take some time and patience to get this franchise in order is a far cry from your earlier conveyances on these posts.

Quit being so hypocritical. you have been one of the biggest gushers in here with every new player the reds sign.

All along I have conveyed that its gonna take some time and that these off season signings alone are not gonna take the Reds to the promised land

I dont hate anyone dude but as I mentioned earlier.. I would have hired an experienced general manager rather than someone that has never served as a general manager..its just common sense

Nor do I care if a general manager stays in the backround..Yet, WK is rude and curt..he acts like a real jerk ..he lacks people skills

..this is a blog,,this is not jr high school..nobody in here knows you..there is no "we"

I like the signing of Cordero..but he alone aint gonna take us to the world series. Affeldt is ok... really not much better than what we have now..

I would have much much preferred a Joe Girardi or even a Ronnie Oester as a manager. It is my opinion..and as you have yours..that this team would have been better served with younger.. more aggressive manager.

And for those of you that have spent any time listening to Rusty Baker this past year on ESPN..I think you share my reservations

Sorry j-said...I don't gush about players as you say I do.And if you read what I have to say,most of the time it's about what i posted earlier. But since you got taken to task you are going to rip me calling me a hypocrite and a gusher. Nice.

There is a "we" in here simply because "we" are Reds fans. When most people agree about you saying the same thing over and over again I consider it a "we". And as for the junior high remark,aren't you the kettle calling the pot black? Ever go back and read all the name calling you do to people? Doesn't matter one bit to me that people don't "know" who I am. Should it matter? Does that matter to you?

I am just tired of people who offer the same rants over and over again. Most of the time I can ignore it Its your opinion ,but its also my opinion that its an old routine with your bashing. So I simply posted my opinion. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

But you seem to get your kicks on doggin' people so feel free to rip on me some more if it'll help your ego out. And I'll do my part to make you feel better.

In signing Dusty Baker as manager..getting Cordero and signing a Affeldt..I think that this team that has had 7 straight losing seasons and finished 13 games outta first place last year is gonna make the playoffs.. Make you feel better?

I am as much a fan as you or anyone else..your problem is that you make the Reds a foundation of your life and hate criticism of this team..even though it truly is deserved

This is a blog and I would suggest to you that many disagree with the "everything is gonna be wonderful picture" that you and others espouse day after day

My honest..but sharp critique may offend you..but your delusional and revisionist history critique offends me to the same degree.

As it stands now, my beloved Reds are pretty bad and have been. We have not played a single game this season. If I am proven wrong and The Reds do great..I can assure you, I will be one of the happiest people in the city

If I..or any other bloggers have disrupted your fantasy world redsfan I apologize.

To be honest with ya.. aside from Cordero..the only move that excites me is the hiring of Jockerty..I am psyched over this ..apparently Castellini knows we need direction. There is hope for this franchise.

Well Jack, I have no idea how you can be so impressed with the potential new GM when you don't even know how to spell his name. It's Jocketty, not Jockerty.

Nevermind that Krivsky has only completely restructured the entire farm system and brought more talent to the big league club in two years whereas the Cardinals did nothing but sign expensive free agents while their farm system has been in the bottom five of Baseball America's listings for most of this decade.

Under the current financial structure of baseball and the Reds, what exactly would YOU have done differently than Krivsky?

How is it that us who feel the Reds are on the right track are living in a alleged fantasy world and you are not? Can't we be more optimistic than you?

You honestly believe we base our lives on this and you don't? I think you post as much as anyone else so this also must be the basis for your life also. So, do you?

Also I don't see alot of people saying we are headed to the playoffs,they are saying we are headed in the right direction. But again you assume we all are burning animals and sacrficing virgins for this to come true.

Your "honest sharp" critique of the Reds doesn't ruin my day at all. In fact, why would it? Do you think I and other "fantasy world dwellers" seriously hang on to every word you speak? Seriously!

My point to you is you keep bringing up 7 losing seasons etc etc. You won't look past it. You don't care for stats so why keep throwing that out at everybody?

I have no problem with people who critize the Reds, my problem is if you keep rehashing the same ol' tired arguement.

And as you say...the season will determine who is right and who is wrong. Redsfanwoody

Well Jack, if you wanted that record, your tickets would be $30 each for nosebleeds and your cable bill would be $5 a month more to watch games on TV and the payroll would have to be $30 million a year higher.

That's what so many of us have been trying to tell you but you're too obstinate to understand. Cincinnati has limitations in market and that trickles down to the on-field product.

and Jack, holding wayne accountable for the previous 15 of the 17 years you keep saying we were bad is just ignorant.Wayne has been with us 2 years, you should be judging O'Brien right now for year 16, but since they have had to gut the roster, incrementally changing every position but LF, RF and #1 starter, I would not say the previous GM's did a good job, such as the wiff on Kazmir in the draft for Gruler.

"our record the past two years with "all this talent" Wayne has brought up is?"

Lets look at who W.K. gave multi-year contracts! The bullpen with guys no longer in baseball...Naron no longer in baseball.We got worse last year,with a team that was a joke!Remember the WASH. NATS. had a better record last yr.!! YES---WALT J.-------------WAKE UP CINCY FIRE KRIVSKY

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